Ahmed issued a statement saying he was “shocked, worried and extremely upset” to discover his 22-year-old son, Waheed, is among the accused. He said he believed his son had been on a work placement in Birmingham, saying:

“My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don’t understand what he’s doing there. If I thought for a second he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities.”

The group, said to include four women and children, is believed to consist entirely of members of the same family.